Electric vehicles (EVs) offer great
potential to move from fossil fuel dependency in transport once some of the
technical barriers related to battery reliability and grid integration are
resolved. The European Union has set a target to achieve a 10% reduction in
greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 relative to 2005 levels. This target is
binding in all the European Union member states. If electric vehicle issues are
overcome then the challenge is to use as much renewable energy as possible to
achieve this target. In this paper, the impacts of electric vehicle charged in
the all-Ireland single wholesale electricity market after the 2020 deadline
passes is investigated using a power system dispatch model. For the purpose of
this work it is assumed that a 10% electric vehicle target in the Republic of
Ireland is not achieved, but instead 8% is reached by 2025 considering the slow
market uptake of electric vehicles. Our experimental study shows that the increasing
penetration of EVs could contribute to approach the target of the EU and
Ireland government on emissions reduction, regardless of different charging scenarios.
Furthermore, among various charging scenarios, the off-peak charging is the
best approach, contributing 2.07% to the target of 10% reduction of Greenhouse
gas emissions by 2025.

Commission of the European Communities (2008) Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.2020 by 2020 Europe’s Climate Change Opportunity. COM (2008) 30 Final.

Electric Power Research Institute, Environmental Assessment of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles, Volume 2: United States Air Quality Analysis Based on AEO-2006 Assumptions for 2030, 2007, Palo Alto, CA and National Resources Defense Council, New York.